Monday News, February 5th

(Sioux City) — Sioux City Police have arrested an individual suspected of setting fire to an apartment complex. The incident happened early Sunday morning at around 2:00 a.m. when firefighters were called to Central Apartments located at 613 11th Street. 51-year old Robert Mahoney was charged with arson. The fire was set on the first floor and sent the apartment residents to flee outside into the frigid cold temperatures. Two people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, one of the victims was transported to a Lincoln, Nebraska burn center. Mahoney told police he started the fire because he was “bored.” Mahoney is in the Woodbury County Jail with a million dollar bond.

Victim Dies From George Fire

GEORGE, Iowa (AP) – One person has died in a house fire in the small northwest Iowa city of George.
George Fire Chief Bill Sprock says the fire started early Sunday and took firefighters several hours to extinguish. He says crews from six communities helped fight the fire, which was complicated by cold temperatures that caused water from the trucks to repeatedly freeze.
Officials didn’t immediately identify the person killed in the fire.
George is a city of about 1,000 people, located about 40 miles north of Le Mars.

Plymouth County Republicans Like Jeneary As State House Candidate

(Le Mars) — On Friday, retired dentist, Dr. Tom Jeneary announced he will seek the position of State Representative after current House member Chuck Holz said he would not run again. The announcement of Jeneary running has been good news
for Republican party loyalists. Don Kass is the co-chair for the Plymouth County Republican party. Kass believes Dr. Jeneary will be a great representative for this district.

Jeneary is currently serving as a board member to the State Dental Board. He was appointed by Governor Terry Branstad, and Kass says the experience as a State Dental Board member will benefit him as a state representative, despite never
having served any prior elected office.

Kass says he knows of no one else with an interest in running for the state house representative position from this district.

Holz Says School Funding Bill Next Up On State Legislature’s Agenda

(Des Moines) — Week four is completed, and now the state legislature will begin week five of the General Session. Le Mars Republican State Representative, Chuck Holz, says legislators are busy introducing bills prior to the first funnel deadline. Now that the water quality bill has passed, and was signed by Governor Kim Reynolds this past week, the Le Mars Republican says up next on the lawmaker’s agenda is a school funding bill.

As mentioned, the water quality bill was signed by Governor Reynolds, marking her very first bill with her signature. State Representative Chuck Holz witnessed the signing of the bill, and says he had a personal reason to be pleased.

Holz says lawmakers are also continuing to work on resolving the state’s budget woes, saying that $50 million dollars still needs to be cut.

Iowa Legislature Looking At Reducing The Penalty For Possession of Small Amounts of Marijuana

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A proposal in the Iowa Legislature to lessen penalties for people who possess small amounts of marijuana could save the state money and reduce what groups say is racial injustice, yet its chances of advancing this
session are unclear.
The bill would make first offense possession of marijuana that’s 5 grams or less a simple misdemeanor instead of a serious misdemeanor, reducing jail time and court fees for those convicted of the charge.
Half of the roughly 3,400 cases of marijuana possession convictions in Iowa during the budget year that ended in 2016 involved 5 grams or less. In the same period, 18 percent of people convicted for first offense marijuana possession were African Americans.
The proposal has been debated a handful of times over the years and comes amid a shift in the national conversation over marijuana use.

Iowa Central Community College To Hold Bond Issue

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – Voters will decide on a proposed $25.5 million bond issue to pay for improvements at Iowa Central Community College.
The Fort Dodge Messenger reports the bond issue on Tuesday’s ballot would pay for work at facilities in Eagle Grove, Fort Dodge, Storm Lake and Webster City.
Voters in Buena Vista, Calhoun, Greene, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Sac, Webster and Wright counties will decide on the request. To be enacted, the bond needs approval by 60 percent of people who cast ballots.
If approved, the measure would increase property taxes by $12 a year for the owner of a $100,000 home.
Projects that would be financed by the bond include a new student center in Fort Dodge, a new industrial training facility in Storm Lake and a new biofuels testing lab.
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Republicans Consider Abortion Legislation

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Republicans who control a majority of the nation’s statehouses are considering a wide range of abortion legislation that could test the government’s legal ability to restrict a woman’s right to terminate pregnancy.
Just this past week, the Mississippi House passed a bill that would make the state the only one to ban all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. In Missouri, lawmakers heard testimony on a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks.
And in Ohio, the House is expected to consider abortion restrictions that have already passed in the Senate. They would prohibit the most common type of procedure used to end pregnancies after 13 weeks and require that fetal remains be buried or cremated. Abortion has been a hot topic in several legislative sessions that began or continued last month.

Man Charged With Murdering His Daughter

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – Central Iowa authorities say a man has been charged with murder in the death of his 2-month-old daughter.
Police say 29-year-old Calvin Curtis White, of Nevada, Iowa, was charged Friday with first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death after the infant was found not breathing and declared dead days earlier.
Police say the mother called 911 after arriving home on Monday and finding the baby not breathing. The baby later died at a hospital. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results.
Police did not release details on what led to White’s arrest. No
attorney was yet listed for White in an online court search Saturday.